A performance by eclectic Canadian musician Joel Plaskett, a range of local talent as well as children's entertainment will span the weekend at Gabriola Island's Cultivate festival.
Organized by Gabriola Arts Council, Cultivate takes place Saturday and Sunday, July 12-13 at Gabriola Commons, with select performances at Gabriola Arts and Heritage Centre and the Haven.
Chelsea Rushton, arts council program manager, said organizers wanted to produce a festival that will bring people together and get them dancing.
"Cultivate is important for the Gabriola community because it's an opportunity for the arts council to bring nationally and internationally recognized performers to a local stage and to make those performances accessible to our community who might not be able to leave the Island for those kind of performances," she said. "It also provides a platform that has national recognition for our local performers who are working on their own careers."
The events start July 12 at 11 a.m. at the Haven, where the Vancouver Island Symphony will perform 'Baroque to the Future'. Tickets can be purchased online at http://vancouverislandsymphony.com/sizzle-festival-brunch-series. The concert costs $46 with an optional brunch at extra cost.
At noon in the Gabriola Arts and Heritage Centre, a land-honouring ceremony will be led by elder C’tasi:a Geraldine Manson and the Salish Sisters, followed by free youth interactive, eco-conscious music from the EnviroSongsters.
The remaining events will take place at Gabriola Commons. On the reservoir main stage, a series of performers will play starting at 6 p.m., leading up to Plaskett, who earned multiple nominations from the Junos, the Polaris Music Prize, the East Coast Music Awards, Music Nova Scotia, and more.
Ahead of his performance, Dryce Lalonde and Andreas Kahre will play, followed by Coalmont. Admission is $40 for all three shows.
"Joel Plaskett is a Canadian music legend," Rushton said. "He recently turned 50 and had a big celebration, so we wanted to jump on that bandwagon and celebrate."
On Sunday at noon, the Kerplunks, Gabriola Island's own children's music group, will give a free performance. At 4 p.m. in Gabriola commons green space Voices in My Body, an immersive, bilingual ticketed performance will take place.
At 6 p.m. three more shows will be taking place featuring Gabriola Pops Choir with Harrison Way, directed by Leah Hokanson at 6:15 p.m., broadband at 7:05 p.m. and Wunderbread at 8 p.m.
In addition to the entertainment, food trucks will be open to serve food throughout the event.
"Come together in music, performing arts and dance, which will help us all through these times that we're living in," said Rushton.
Tickets can be purchased online at http://artsgabriola.ca/cultivate-festival.
